Salvia plant named ‘Moulin Rouge’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of perennial  Salvia  plant named ‘Moulin Rouge’ characterized by its large, deep rosy-pink flowers from dark deep-rose buds and calyxes, densely arranged in verticils. The new plant has a medium height, compact, rounded habit with stiff, upright, heavily-branched stems and a strong vigorous growth rate and dark gray-green foliage. ‘Moulin Rouge’ is useful for landscaping as a specimen plant or en masse.

Botanical denomination: Salvia pratensis hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Moulin Rouge’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first public disclosure of the new plant, in the form of aphotograph and brief description on a website operated by WaltersGardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2019. Subsequently, the new plant wasadvertised in the “Walters Gardens 19-20 Catalog” first distributed onMay 29, 2019. The claimed plant was first sold on May 20, 2019 byWalters Gardens, Inc., who obtained the plant and all informationrelating thereto, from the inventor. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained thenew plant and all information on the new plant from the inventor. Noplants of Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ have been sold in this country oranywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant beenmade, more than one year prior to the filing date of this application,and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directlyor indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofornamental sage plant hereinafter referred to by the cultivar nameSalvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ or as the new plant. The new plant was selectedfrom an insect pollination in late spring of 2014 with an unreleased,proprietary hybrid known by the breeder code 13-40-2 (not patented) asthe female or seed parent and the male parent is a sibling of 13-40-2(not patented) at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA.Seed was collected in the summer of 2014 and sown at the same nursery.The new plant was initially evaluated in the summer of 2016 and assignedthe breeder code 14-6-1 through the trial process prior to assigning thecultivar name.

The new Salvia was further evaluated and asexually propagated initiallyby division and later by basal cuttings taken at the same nursery inZeeland, Mich., USA in 2016. Evaluation of these and further cuttinggrown plants shows that Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ continues to be stable andproduce true to type plants in successive generations of asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, nutrition and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ can be closely compared to Salvia ‘Ballerina Pink’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,957, ‘Pretty in Pink’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,550,‘Pink Dawn’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,343, ‘Sweet 16’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.24,312, and ‘Sweet Petite’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,285. ‘Ballerina Pink’has soft pink flowers and dark mauve calyces on plants just slightlytaller. ‘Pretty in Pink’ has flowers that are vibrant lavender-pink withdarker pink calyxes and slightly taller habit. ‘Pink Dawn’ has a shorterhabit with flowers that are cotton candy pink opening from fuchsia buds.‘Sweet 16’ is slightly taller in habit with rose-purple bud opening tolavender pink flowers with a darker purple lower lip. ‘Sweet Petite’ hassignificantly shorter habit and flowers of lavender-pink with dark rosebuds. Comparison with the male parent is not possible as it was notmaintained. The female parent has lighter pink flower and shorter habit.

The following characteristics in combination distinguish Saliva ‘MoulinRouge’ as a new and distinct cultivar from all other cultivars known tothe inventor:

-   -   1. Large, deep rosy-pink flowers densely arranged in verticils;    -   2. Stiff, upright, heavily-branched stems;    -   3. Dark deep-rose flower buds;    -   4. Medium to tall height, dense, rounded, strong, vigorous and        winter-hardy habit;    -   5. Rugose, dark, gray-green foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits and theoverall appearance of Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’. The colors are as accurateas reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambientlight spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color. The plant used in the photographs was athree-year-old plant grown in an open, full-sun trial garden at awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental waterand fertilizer when needed.

FIG. 1 shows the plant habit in full flower in a landscape.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower scape with the buds, flowers,stems and calyxes.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references except where commondictionary terms are used are based on the 2015 edition of The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ has not beenobserved under all possible environments. The phenotype may varyslightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light,fertility, soil pH, moisture and plant maturity levels, but without anychange in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptionsare based on three-year-old plants growing in an outdoor full-sun trialgarden and greenhouse-forced two-year-old plants at a wholesaleperennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Plants were given supplemental waterand fertilizer. Plant growth regulators were used in the greenhousetrials only.

-   Botanical classification: Salvia pratensis hybrid;-   Parentage: Female or seed is the proprietary hybrid 13-40-2; male or    pollen parent is a sibling to 13-40-2;-   Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial; multi-stemmed,    compact, rounded, with mostly basal foliage, and flowers in several    tightly arranged verticils on branched upright racemes displayed    above foliage; in flower with panicles about 60 cm tall and about 64    cm wide at the fullest point; cauline foliage extends up the stems    about 32 cm; about 20 flowering panicles per plant;-   Propagation: By basal vegetative shoot cuttings; time to produce a    rooted stems about two weeks;-   Growth rate: Rapid, vigorous, finishing in a 65 mm container in    about 7 weeks from rooted cutting, and from 65 mm container to    flowering 3.8 liter container in about 8 weeks.-   Root description: Fine, well-branched; color dependent on age and    soil type, from cream to dark tan in color;-   Foliage: Opposite; simple; slightly rugose; lanceolate; margin    irregularly crenate and micro-ciliolate; adaxial sparsely    puberulent, and abaxial puberulent; acute apex and base cordate;    leaf blades to about 22.5 cm long and 9.5 cm across, decreasing in    size distally; average about 19.0 cm long and 6.5 cm across; faint    sage fragrance;-   Foliage color: Young adaxial between RHS 138A, abaxial between RHS    138A and RHS 138B; mature adaxial nearest NN137A, mature abaxial    nearest RHS 147B;-   Venation: Reticulate; impressed on adaxial side and costate on    abaxial side; micro-puberulent adaxial, abaxial pubescent; nearest    RHS 145D; adaxial primary and secondary veins between RHS 146D and    RHS 145B; abaxial midrib between RHS 146D and RHS 147C, abaxial    primary and secondary veins between RHS 146D and RHS 145C;-   Petiole: Concavo-convex; puberulent adaxial and abaxial and    ciliolate margin; to about 10.0 cm long and 9.0 mm wide at base    decreasing distally, average 7.0 cm long and 7.5 mm wide at base;-   Petiole color: Adaxial distal portion nearest RHS 146D slightly    blushed with RHS N79B, proximal portion between RHS 146D and RHS    145C moderately blushed with RHS N79B; abaxial distal portion    nearest RHS 145C and proximal portion between RHS 146D and RHS 145C    moderately blushed with nearest RHS N79B;-   Flower description: Perfect; bilabiate; zygomorphic; fused corolla    portion glabrous adaxial and puberulent abaxial;-   Flower size: 27.0 mm long to tip of exserted stigma, 20.0 mm tall,    7.0 mm wide; corolla 25.0 mm long, 20.0 mm tall; corolla fused basal    portion 10.0 mm long, 8.0 mm tall and 5.0 mm wide;-   Inflorescence: Panicle; branched at about 45° angle, rarely compound    branched; branches to 32 cm long and 3.0 mm across base; flowering    portion 28 cm tall and 38 cm across; verticillate with flowering    generally beginning at lower verticils and advancing up the scape,    but not all flowers at each verticil opening at the same time giving    the effect of a scape being in continuous flower for longer periods;    typically six flowers per verticil; average distance between    verticils about 34.0 mm, greater proximally and less distally; about    15 verticils per plant; about 200 to 350 flowers per panicle;-   Flowering period: Flowering beginning late spring for about six    weeks and repeating if initial inflorescences removed;-   Peduncle: Quadrangular; pubescent to glandular; to 40.0 cm long and    8.0 mm across at base;-   Peduncle color: Proximal portion nearest RHS N79A and distal portion    nearest RHS 146B;-   Flower attitude: Mostly horizontal;-   Flower longevity: About four days on the plant or as cut flower;    self-cleaning, petals not persistent;-   Flower fragrance: None detected under present growing conditions;-   Flower buds one day prior to anthesis: Obovoid; arcuate dorsally,    flat ventrally and flattened slightly laterally; with rounded apex;    pubescent; about 16.0 mm long, 8.0 mm tall and 3.0 mm wide;-   Bud color: Exposed petals along dorsal arc nearest RHS 71B, ventral    nearest RHS 76B and near center nearest RHS 72A; abaxial calyx    nearest RHS 137A variably blushed with RHS 187A;-   Petals: Bilabiate corolla; upper hood lip and lower lip (labium)    with three lobes; glandular abaxial and glabrous adaxial;-   Hood (upper) petal: Glandular abaxial, glabrous adaxial; folded    along longitudinal axis; apex rounded and emarginate, with 2 mm deep    notched apex and base fused with labium in proximal 10.0 mm; about    27.0 mm long, 7.0 mm tall and 3.0 mm across;-   Hood color: Adaxial between RHS 76B and RHS 76C; RHS NN155D, abaxial    between RHS 77B and RHS 77C;-   Labium (lower) petal: Consisting of three lobes, two proximal side    lobes and larger center lobe; side lobes glabrous adaxial and    abaxial, center lobe glandular abaxial base and glabrous abaxial    margins and distally, adaxial glabrous;    -   -   Center lobe.—Obcordate; cupped; truncate emarginate apex            with notch about 1.0 mm deep; margin crenulate; size about            23.0 mm long (including fuse base) extending 13 mm beyond            fusion point; natural width 10.0 mm and when spread to 15.0            mm.        -   Center lobe color.—Adaxial base between RHS N81B and RHS            N81C; abaxial nearest RHS N82D near center and near margin            nearest RHS N82D.        -   Fused corolla color.—Adaxial base nearest RHS NN155D and            toward fusion nearest RHS 67C, abaxial nearest RHS 76B.        -   Side lobes.—Lanceolate; apices acute; base fused to corolla            tube; slightly revolute; size about 5.0 mm long from fusion            and 2.0 mm wide.        -   Side lobes color.—Nearest RHS N80B adaxial and abaxial.-   Androecium: Two; fused with labium, arcuate along inside upper hood    petal except when triggered by pollinator;    -   -   Filament.—Glabrous, fused about 10.0 mm from base of labium            petal; arcuate around inside of hood petal; about 21.0 mm            long and 0.5 mm diameter with a 3.0 mm long trip by 1.0 mm            across mechanism longitudinally folded at base; color of            filament between RHS NN155D near base and transitioning to            nearest RHS 72B in distal 4 mm; color of trip mechanism            between RHS N79C near center and perimeter nearest RHS 76D.        -   Anther.—Glabrous; oblong ellipsoidal; dorsifixed;            longitudinal; about 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color            nearest RHS N187A.        -   Pollen.—Abundant; less than 0.1 mm circumference; color            nearest RHS 12A.-   Gynoecium: One, arcuate around inside of hood petal;    -   -   Style.—Exserted; about 26.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter;            color nearest RHS NN155D at base, transitioning distally to            nearest RHS N79C.        -   Stigma.—Bifurcate and curved in the terminal 2.0 mm; about            0.3 mm diameter; apex acute; color between RHS N186C and RHS            N186D.        -   Ovary.—Superior; up to four-seeded; color between RHS 160D            and RHS 146D.-   Fruit: Nutlet, one to four per flower; globose; about 1.5 mm    diameter; color nearest RHS 200A;-   Calyx: Campanulate; fused in basal 7.5 mm; tube about 8.0 mm long    and 8.0 mm tall at mouth and 4.5 mm wide; lower set bifurcate in    distal 0.5 mm; upper set of trifurcate slightly folded in middle in    distal 0.5 mm; glandular abaxial and glabrous adaxial;-   Sepals: Five, three upper and two lower; linear; acute apex; 8.0 mm    long, 2.5 mm across at fusion and fused in basal 7.5 mm;-   Sepal color: Adaxial proximal 3 mm nearest RHS 145D with veins    nearest RHS 137C, distal portion nearest RHS 137C; abaxial nearest    RHS 137A distally, with veins of nearest RHS NN137A blushed with RHS    187A;-   Bracts: Each verticil subtended by two opposite deltoid bracts; apex    narrowly acute; base sessile, truncate, clasping; margin crenate;    glabrous adaxial and pubescent abaxial; bract size up to 18.0 mm    long and 13.0 mm wide, decreasing distally;-   Bract color: Variable with light intensity, in lower light adaxial    surfaces between RHS 137A and RHS NN37A with midrib nearest RHS    145D, abaxial nearest RHS NN137C with midrib of nearest RHS 145D;    color in distal portion of peduncle with more intense light exposure    between RHS 137A and RHS NN137A with moderate blush of nearest RHS    187A on both surfaces;-   Pedicels: Cylindrical; puberulent to glandular; about 2.0 to 3.0 mm    long and 1.0 mm diameter; curving outwardly;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 145A in proximal portion of peduncle and    RHS 187A distally;-   Culture: Plants of Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ perform best with adequate    moisture and good drainage and are hardy from USDA zone 3 to 8.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistant to diseases and pests beyond    that common to Salvia has not been noted.

It is claimed:
 1. The new and distinct perennial Salvia plant named‘Moulin Rouge’ as herein described and illustrated.